is a representation of Nicholas Blackburne, Lord Mayor of York, 1429, and his wife; both in the posture of prayer. He is in armour, with a shield of arms upon his breast; and beneath is a latin inscription requesting the prayers of the faithful for the repose of their souls. On the window above the altar is painted the wise men offering gifts to the infant Jesus, the salutation of Mary, the nativity, crucifixion, and resurrection. The ceiling at the eastern end of the church which is of fine old oak, adorned with a series of antique sculptures, is very striking and unique. It is supported on sculptured blocks of dark oak representing angelic musicians: and in the centre of the pannelled roof are curious grotesque heads. Church-room 350; Net value £107.

St. Cuthbert, Peaseholm-green.

We find on reference to Domesday-Book, that this church existed at the conquest. "The church of St. Cuthbert the same William (de Percy) also claims of Earl Hugo, and seven small houses fifty feet in width." Subsequently it was appropriated to the prior and convent of the Holy Trinity in the city of York. At the dissolution the patronage came to the crown. In 1452, a commission was issued to John, bishop of Phillipi to consecrate the chapel of a guild of St. Mary and Martin the confessor, and the altar in the same, erected within the church of St. Cuthbert. At the union of some of the churches in York in the year 1585, the churches of St. Mary extra Layerthorpe, (which stood without the postern on the hill on the right hand) All Hallows, Peaseholme-green, and St. Helens-on-the-Walls, in Aldwark, were united to it. In the latter church, the ashes of the Emperor Constantine* are said to have been preserved; and Camden mentions a lighted lamp† found in a vault, said to have

*Camden's Britannia, p. 569, ed. 1590.

A belief in the discovery of an ever-burning lamp appears to have been prevalent in all ages; and tradition informs us that lamps have been found in tombs where they have continued burning for upwards of 1,000 years, of which, mention has been made in the works of St. Austin, Plutarch, Pliny, Ludovicus Vives, Baptista, Porta and Licetus.

kept burning in honour of the father of the first christian Roman Emperor. Several Roman tiles stamped Leg. IX. HISP., and other Roman remains have been found in digging in the church of St. Cuthbert and the surrounding burying ground. In the windows some stained glass remains; the royal arms of King Edward III. being on one compartment. Near the entrance is an inscription in memory of William Bowes, Lord Mayor, A. d. 1416. Church-room, 350; net value £233.

St. Sabiour's, Sabiourgate.

This church anciently styled the church of St. Saviour in Marisco (in the marsh) also belongs to the class of those founded anterior to the time of King William I. The patronage of the ancient rectory was given by the conqueror to St. Mary's Abbey; at the reformation it reverted to the crown. In 1585, the churches of St. John, in Hungate, and St. Andrew in St. Andrewgate, (mentioned in Domesday-Book,) were united to this church and parish. The present edifice is of antique appearance; but is in good repair. It is said to have been constructed from the remains of a neighbouring Carmelite monastery. The windows contain some richly painted glass; and upon one is depicted the legend of St. Anthony of Padua, and his pig. Within the church are buried Sir John Hewley and his lady Dame Sarah, now notorious in consequence of the expensive chancery suits respecting her will. Churchroom, 500; net value £173.

St. Michael, Spurriergate.

William the Conqueror, or, as Archbishop Sharp was of opinion, William Rufus, gave this church to St. Mary's Abbey; with which the patronage remained till the dissolution, when it came to the crown. During the improvements consequent upon the erection of the new bridge at Ousegate, the chancel was taken down and a considerable portion of the ground, on which it stood, added to the street. The exterior of the church consequently

presents a modern appearance.

The windows contain

some painted glass representing the history of John the Baptist. Church-room, 500; net value £91.

St. Michael-le-Belfrey, Petergate.

This church, built so close to the Cathedral as to prevent the spectator from viewing to advantage the southwest side, appears to have been founded about a century after the Norman Conquest; and probably was used as a belfrey to the Minster. In 1194, it was confirmed to the dean and chapter of York by Pope Celestine III. It was, we are informed by Archbishop Sharp's MS., " an appendant to the vicarage of St. Martin, in Coney-street, and recently granted with it to the dean and chapter. It is called a rectory, or parochial church, appendant to the revenues of the dean and chapter, by whom it is usually demised to the incumbent at the rent of £8 per annum."* The original building appears to have been taken down in 1535, and the present fabric was completed ten years afterwards. It is the largest and, internally, the handsomest of the parish churches, consisting of a nave, chancel and side aisles: it is 96 feet long and 63 feet wide. The west end was formerly built against; but all the houses from thence to the top of Little Blake-street, have, within the last few years, been removed; by which the approach to the Minster, from Bootham, is greatly improved. The interior affords a good specimen of the architecture of the sixteenth century; the nave and chancel being divided from the aisles by six depressed pointed arches, resting on clusters of four columns, united by octagonal capitals. At the east end of the north aisle is a tablet, to the memory of the late Rev. William Richardson, a clergyman, eminent for his exemplary piety and Christian zeal; and there are several other interesting monuments. In this church also lie the remains of Mr. Thomas Gent,

Archbishop Sharp's MS., vol. ii.

the celebrated printer of York, whose histories of York, Ripon, Hull, &c., are highly esteemed by the collectors of English topography. Mr. Gent was born in Dublin, A. D. 1691, and died in York, on the 19th. of May, 1778, in the eighty-seventh year of his age. In 1585, the church of St. Wilfrid, Blake-street, was united to Belfrey's; but with this particular restriction, that if ever the parishioners think fit to rebuild the church of St. Wilfrid, the parish should remain as it was before the union. Part of the townships of Clifton and Rawcliffe are within this parish. Church-room, 1000; net value, £140.

St. Margaret, Walmgate.

This, to the antiquarian, is, questionless, the most interesting of the parish churches of York; and to many is an object of greater curiosity than the minster itself; its celebrated porch, usually allowed to be a Saxon structure, investing it with peculiar attractions. The church was an ancient rectory, conjoined with St. Mary's Walmgate. They both belonged to the hospital of St. Peter, or St. Leonard, in the city of York,* to which they were given by Walter Fagenulf, in the time of Henry I. The patronage now belongs to the crown. In 1585, the parish of St. Peter-le-Willows was united to this parish. The porch, to which we have referred, is said to have been brought, at the time of the dissolution, to its present position from the hospital of St. Nicholas, extra muros, founded by the Empress Maude, daughter of Henry I. It consists of four united circular arches, below and within each other; the effect of which is extremely singular. The outer arch exhibits the twelve signs of the zodiac, with a thirteenth zodiacal sign peculiar to the Anglo-Saxons; each sign being accompanied by a hieroglyphical representation of the corresponding month. In addition to the twelve

* Archbishop Sharp.

↑ See Browne's Porch of St. Margaret's Church, York.

zodiacal signs used to designate the progress of the sun during its annual course, the Anglo-Saxons appear to have invented a sign to designate the additional month, and also a figure portraying the employment of the month.† Beneath the zodiacal signs is a carved flower moulding. The second arch comprises twenty-two grotesque masks. the third, eighteen hieroglyphical figures; and the fourth, fifteen figures similar to those on the preceding one. The outer arch is supported by curiously carved pillars, and the three inner ones rest upon round columns. Within the porch is a small recess on either hand; and over the door of the church is a carved arch, also supported by round columns. The roof of the porch rises to an apex, and is surmounted by a small stone image of the crucifixion. Mr. Browne is of opinion, that the porch was erected in the reign of Stephen; when the hospital of St. Nicholas was founded by Maud. On the other hand, a learned antiquarian, Mr. Macgregor, who has also devoted a publication to the illustration of this porch, contends that it was not the design of any Saxon bishop, but is of ROMAN construction; and sums up, by saying, "upon the whole, if these arguments are well founded, it follows, that the citizens of York possess within their walls a very beautiful remain of an ancient temple of the sun, an unique in Britain, perhaps in Europe, and a monument, which would, it seems, be highly prized in France, where even single figures of the signs are carefully laid up in the museums.” We cordially unite in the hope expressed by both antiquarians, that this valuable relic will be an object of the especial guardianship of the citizens of York; as every year renders it more precious. In the church itself there is nothing that calls for observation. It has church-room for 600; and the net value is £124.

St. Dennis, Walmgate.

This was an ancient rectory, called St. Denys, or St. Dyonis, belonging to the hospital of St. Leonard, York: